Research
As a type of immunotherapy, cell therapies enhance the natural abilities of immune cells, such as T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, to detect and eliminate cancer cells at a magnitude the human body could never do alone. Cancer cells can often make themselves invisible to the immune system. Therefore, to better detect cancer cells, we can genetically modify immune cells by adding certain molecules, such as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Cell therapies also can be engineered to enhance their activity against target cells.
Bringing together the top minds in the field, the Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation will lead exceptional discovery, translational and clinical research to accelerate the development of new treatments for cancer as well as autoimmune diseases, infections and other conditions. The institute aims to provide safe and effective therapies that will be available "off-the-shelf," which could improve access and lower treatment costs.
Home to the world’s largest cancer clinical trials program, MD Anderson leverages its tremendous research engine to advance new cell therapy applications safely and quickly. We draw upon expertise in immunology, cancer genomics, drug development, data science and artificial intelligence to translate scientific discoveries into impactful treatments. By gaining new insights in immunology and cell engineering, the institute will fuel the creation of breakthrough therapies that can be readily adapted to address emerging needs.
The Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation has a patient-centered approach to research and a focus on collaboration that allows breakthroughs to be translated into tangible, real-world, clinical therapies. MD Anderson offers the clinical infrastructure needed to run studies that can impact the lives of patients, reduce their suffering and provide them with options.
Clinical Trials in Progress
The following clinical trials are collaborations initiated by the institute:
Title |
IND |
Prinicpal Investigator |
Lead Department |
Disease Indications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Phase I/II Study of CD5 CAR Engineered IL15-Transduced Cord Blood-Derived NK Cells in Conjunction with Lymphodepleting Chemotherapy for the Management of Relapsed/Refractory Hematological Malignances |
30087 |
Chitra Hosing, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Lymphoma and Leukemia |
Phase I/II study of CAR.70- engineered IL15-transduced cord blood-derived NK cells in conjunction with lymphodepleting chemotherapy for the management of relapse/refractory hematological malignances |
27757
|
David Marin, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma |
Phase I/II study of CAR.70-engineered IL15-transduced cord blood-derived NK cells in conjunction with lymphodepleting chemotherapy for the management of advanced renal cell carcinoma, mesothelioma and osteosarcoma |
29057 |
David Hong, M.D. |
Invest. Cancer Therapeutics |
Renal Cell Carcinoma, Sarcoma, Mesothelioma |
A Phase I clinical trial with a window-of-opportunity component of engineered NK cells containing deleted TGF-ßR2 and NR3C1 in recurrent grade 4 astrocytoma (glioblastoma) |
28493 | Shiao-Pei Weathers, M.D. | Neuro-Oncology |
Glioblastoma |
Phase I/II study of TROP2 CAR engineered IL15-transduced cord blood-derived NK cells delivered intraperitoneally for the management of platinum resistant ovarian cancer, mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma, and pancreatic cancer |
29348 |
Amir Jazaeri, M.D. |
Gyn Onc & Reproductive Med |
Gyn-oncology and Pancreatic |
Phase 1 Dose Escalation and Expansion Study of TROP2 CAR Engineered IL15-transduced Cord Blood-derived NK Cells in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors (TROPIKANA) |
29725 |
Ecaterina Dumbrava, M.D. |
Invest. Cancer Therapeutics |
Breast and Lung |
A Phase 1b Study of Immunotherapy with ex vivo Pre-Activated and expanded CB-NK cells in combination with Cetuximab, in colorectal cancer patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) |
27674 |
Maria Morelli, M.D. |
GI Medical Oncology |
Colorectal |
Phase I/II Trial of Cord blood-derived NK cells genetically engineered with NY-ESO-1 TCR/IL-15 cell receptor for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma |
29526 |
Muzaffar Qazilbash, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Multiple Myeloma |
Phase I/Ib study of adoptive NK expressing an affinity-enhanced T-cell receptor (TCR) reactive against the NY-ESO-1 |
29522 |
Andrew Livingston, M.D. |
Sarcoma |
Osteosarcoma, Lung and Melanoma |
Administration of Expanded, Most Closely HLA Matched SARS-CoV-2-Specific T Cells for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Patients with Cancer |
26309 | David Marin, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Hematology Cancer and Solid Tumor |
Phase II Study Assessing the Effect of BK Specific CTL Lines Generated by Ex Vivo Expansion in Stem Cell Transplant Recipients with BK Infection and JC Virus Infection |
16478 | Amanda Olson, M.D. | Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Hematology Cancer |
Most Closely HLA Matched Allogeneic CMV Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes (CTL) to Treat CMV Infection after Hemapoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) |
16062 | Betul Oran, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Hematology Cancer |
Phase I/II Clinical Trial of Autologous CMV-Specific Cytotoxic T Cells for GBM Patients |
16735 | Shiao-Pei Weathers, M.D. | Neuro-Oncology |
Glioblastoma |
Administration of Off-the-Shelf, Expanded, Most Closely HLA Matched, Third Party Viral Specific T Cells for Therapy of Adenovirus Related Disease in Immunocompromised Patients |
17761 | David Marin, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Hematology Cancer and Solid Tumor |
PRAME TCR NK AML |
30518 |
Jeremy Ramdial, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Leukemia |
PRAME TCR NK solid tumors |
29725 |
Ecaterina Dumbrava, M.D. |
Invest. Cancer Therapeutics |
Solid tumors |
PRAME TCR NK skin and uveal melanoma |
TBD |
Adi Diab, M.D. |
Melanoma Medical Oncology |
Melanoma |
Pluriceptor NK plus Tafasitumab in systemic sclerosis and SLE |
30543 |
Chitra Hosing, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Sclerosis |
The following upcoming clinical trials are collaborations initiated by the institute:
Title |
Prinicpal Investigator |
Lead Department |
Disease Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
Pluriceptor NK plus Tafasitumab Plus Glofitamab in NHL |
Yago Nieto, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Lymphoma |
Pluriceptor NK plus Elranatanab in myeloma |
Qaiser Bashir, M.D. |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Myeloma |
TROP2 CAR NK cells Plus cetuximab in CRC |
Maria Morelli, M.D. |
GI Medical Oncology |
Colorectal |
Dual IL13Ra/EGFRv3CAR/IL21 in GBM |
Shiao-Pei Weathers, M.D. | Neuro-Oncology |
Glioblastoma |
CD70 CAR CISH/TGFBR2 KO NK |
TBD |
Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy |
Hematology Cancer and Solid Tumor |
Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
MD Anderson
The institute will leverage collaborations through multidisciplinary immunotherapy research.
Selected Publications
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Kumar B, Singh A, Basar R, Uprety N, Li Y, Fan H, Cortes AKN, Kaplan M, Acharya S, Shaim H, Xu AC, Wu M, Ensley E, Fang D, Banerjee PP, Garcia LM, Tiberti S, Lin P, Rafei H, Munir MN, Moore M, Shanley M, Mendt M, Kerbauy LN, Liu B, Biederstädt A, Gokdemir E, Ghosh S, Kundu K, Reyes-Silva F, Jiang XR, Wan X, Gilbert AL, Dede M, Mohanty V, Dou J, Zhang P, Liu E, Muniz-Feliciano L, Deyter GM, Jain AK, Rodriguez-Sevilla JJ, Colla S, Garcia-Manero G, Shpall EJ, Chen K, Abbas HA, Rai K, Rezvani K, Daher M.
ATF is a major driver of NK cell epigenetic reprogramming and dysfunction in AML.
Sci Transl Med. 2024 Sep 11;16(764):eadp0004
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Shanley M, Daher M, Dou J, Li S, Basar R, Rafei H, Dede M, Gumin J, Pantaleόn Garcίa J, Nunez Cortes AK, He S, Jones CM, Acharya S, Fowlkes NW, Xiong D, Singh S, Shaim H, Hicks SC, Liu B, Jain A, Zaman MF, Miao Q, Li Y, Uprety N, Liu E, Muniz-Feliciano L, Deyter GM, Mohanty V, Zhang P, Evans SE, Shpall EJ, Lang FF, Chen K, Rezvani K.
Interleukin-21 engineering enhances NK cell activity against glioblastoma via CEBPD.
Cancer Cell. 2024 Aug 12;42(8):1450-1466.e11.
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Acharya S, Basar R, Daher M, Rafei H, Li P, Uprety N, Ensley E, Shanley M, Kumar B, Banerjee PP, Melo Garcia L, Lin P, Mohanty V, Kim KH, Jiang X, Pan Y, Li Y, Liu B, Nunez Cortes AK, Zhang C, Fathi M, Rezvan A, Montalvo MJ, Cha SL, Reyes-Silva F, Shrestha R, Guo X, Kundu K, Biederstadt A, Muniz-Feliciano L, Deyter GM, Kaplan M, Jiang XR, Liu E, Jain A, Roszik J, Fowlkes NW, Solis Soto LM, Raso MG, Khoury JD, Lin P, Vega F, Varadarajan N, Chen K, Marin D, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K.
CD28 costimulation augments CAR signaling in NK cells via the LCK/CD3Z/ZAP70 signaling axis.
Cancer Discov . 2024 Oct 4;14(10):1879-1900.
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Marin D, Li Y, Basar R, Rafei H, Daher M, Dou J, Mohanty V, Dede M, Nieto Y, Uprety N, Acharya S, Liu E, Wilson J, Banerjee P, Macapinlac HA, Ganesh C, Thall PF, Bassett R, Ammari M, Rao S, Cao K, Shanley M, Kaplan M, Hosing C, Kebriaei P, Nastoupil LJ, Flowers CR, Moseley SM, Lin P, Ang S, Popat UR, Qazilbash MH, Champlin RE, Chen K, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K.
Safety, efficacy and determinants of response of allogeneic CD19-specific CAR-NK cells in CD19+ B cell tumors: a phase 1/2 trial.
Nat Med. 2024 Mar;30(3):772-784
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Li Y, Rezvani K, Rafei H.
Next-generation chimeric antigen receptors for T- and natural killer-cell therapies against cancer.
Immunol Rev. 2023 Nov;320(1):217-235.
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Li L, Mohanty V, Dou J, Huang Y, Banerjee PP, Miao Q, Lohr JG, Vijaykumar T, Frede J, Knoechel B, Muniz-Feliciano L, Laskowski TJ, Liang S, Moyes JS, Nandivada V, Basar R, Kaplan M, Daher M, Liu E, Li Y, Acharya S, Lin P, Shanley M, Rafei H, Marin D, Mielke S, Champlin RE, Shpall EJ, Chen K, Rezvani K.
Loss of metabolic fitness drives tumor resistance after CAR-NK cell therapy and can be overcome by cytokine engineering.
Sci Adv. 2023 Jul 28;9(30):eadd6997